Closed book, invigilated exams versus open book, open web exams

An empirical analysis

Abstract

This paper reports on the latest findings of an on-going research project evaluating the effectiveness of ‘open book, open web’ (OBOW) examinations. An assessment instrument used in a growing number of higher education institutions around the world, the OBOW examination model under consideration in this project is distinguishable by its firm commitment to the notion of authentic assessment, and the harnessing of the information and communication technologies to bring the ‘examination paper’ to life. The results of previous research undertaken have indicated that the OBOW approach receives the strong endorsement of students on a number of fronts, not least the quality of the learning outcomes. Scepticism remains, however, on the part of some traditionalists within educational circles who argue for the retention of invigilated examinations as this is the only means of ensuring that a student’s work is their own and theirs alone. This paper opposes this position, presenting the case for an examination instrument that is more in keeping with modern learning theory.